Apparatus for setting fuses of projectiles



March 10, i942. F A. JOSEPH APPARA'IUSv FOR SETTING FUSES OF PROJECTILES Filed Aug. l0, 1940 Patented Mar.- 10, 1942 APPARATUS FOR SETTING FUSES F PROJECTHLES Felix Alexander Joseph, Hong Kong Application August l0, 1940, Serial No. 352,059

' In Great Britain `lune 27,1939 Y c claims.` (ci. srs-23.1)

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for setting the time fuses of projectiles. The invention is more particularly concerned with that type of fuse setting apparatus which is set in accordance with data supplied from a central control station. y

The object of the present invention is yto provide a simpe form of setting apparatus of comparatively light weight and having the minimum of moving parts in order tolavoid excessive slack.

ness which would be detrimental to accurate fuse setting and to provide means to compensate for such slackness if any.

According to one form oi' the invention there is provided apparatus for setting fuses of projectiles comprising a pair of coaxial setting members each having a setting pawl for engagement with notches in the fuse rings, means for rotating either or both said setting members whereby their angular position relative to one another is controlled within 360 and meansvfor additionally rotating said setting members two complete revolutions relative to` each other to engage said notches and thereby to effect the setting of the fuse.

The invention in the present form consists of apparatus for imparting a primary setting movement to the setting members which is maintained and adjusted continuously in accordance with data supplied from the control station and a secondary setting movement to eect the setting of the fuse, the first movement giving the required angular displacement to the setting members and the second movement engaging the setting pawlswith the usual notches on the projectile and fuse ring and imparting the necessary relative rotation to set the timing, such secondary movement being given after the projectile has been place in the apparatus, that is to say, the primary movement may be completed or partially completed before the projectile is presented to the fuse setter, the actual setting of the fuse being eiected by the secondary movement.

In the present form the relative angular movement of the setting members is obtained by the combination of a quick thread on an inner setting member mating with a correspondingly threaded intermediate traveller which has webs engaging longitudinal slots in an outer setting member. l V f In order that lthe invention may be clearly understood, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section yof the ap- Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus comprises a main casing I having mounted therein the fuse setting mechanism and an extension casing 2 which houses the manually operable control means therefor. The fuse setting mechanism is operated through the medium of a rotary drive member 3 which is rotated by means of an exterior hand-wheel i through the intermediary of a shaft 5 and bevel gears S and l. The drive member 9 is mounted in bearings 8 and 9 and upon rotation causes a traversing member I 0 to rotate and to move longitudinally to and fro due to a screw threaded engagement with a sleeve I I and connection with the drive member 3, by splines I2. The sleeve Il is held from rotation but is movable longitudinally by means of a fork I3 with a tubular slide I4 having a rack I5, the slide being movable along a shaft I6 by means of a setting lever Il (Figure 2) driving a pinion I8 in engagement with the aforesaid rack l5. One complete movement of the lever Il will move the sleeve Il t0- gether withthe traversing member I0 for a denite and predetermined distance. The sleeve II is provided with extension bearings I9, two in number, which engage guide rods 20 ilxedly supported in ithe casing I, the engagement of the bearings or lugs i9 with the rods thus holding the sleeve from rotation.

The traversing member I0 which is actuated by the drive member 3 serves in turn to move a traveller 2l through the intermediary of ball thrust bearings 22 so that although a longitudi-` two complete turns of the threads occur in a` length of the -member 23 equal to the maximum distance of linear movement of which the slide ifi is capable. The traveller 2i is in engagement ,with the outer setting member it by means of webs 2t (Figure 2) which extend through longitudinal slots 2li dlametrically disposed in the said outer setting member Eb. The inner and outer setting members are each provided with a setting pawl 29 and 2Q respectively and the inner paratus in accordance with the invention, and @E setting member is mounted in ball bearings 30 'at one end and in a plain bearing tI at the other end formed in the outersetting member 25, which in turn is mounted in ball bearingstz at the forward end and a plain bearing 33 at the rear, the construction being such that the setting members are positioned relatively one to the other dependent upon the position of the traveller 2|. The ball bearings 30 are of the type to prevent any endwise movement of the setting member 23. To further explain this relative positioning of the pawls 28 and 29 it is to be considered that the setting members are freely revoluble with respect to each other. It may now be assumed that the hand wheel 4 is rotated to 'move the traveller 2| to the right in Fig. 1. Considering rst the relation between the traveller and the setting member 23. The traveller being in threaded engagement with the setting member 23 longitudinal movementV of the traveller must effect relative rotative movement of the two. Either the traveller will rotate about the setting member, the setting member will rotate within the traveller or one will rotate in one direction while the other rotates in the opposite direction. In any case for any definite longitudinal movement of the traveller there will be a definite angle of one of the parts 2| and 23 relative to the other. Now, since the outer setting member 25 must rotate with the traveller because the webs 26 and slots 21 form a pin and slot connection between the two, the same angle of rotation that occurs between the setting member 23 and traveller 2| will exist between the setting members 23 and 25 and consequently one of the pawls will be displaced relative to the other over an arc of the same angular measurement as that of the relative angular displacement between the setting members.

The splined drive member 3, as previously described, is rotated by means of a hand-wheel 4 and in addition, a worm gear 35 is operated to control a pointer not shown, but which is intended to follow the pointer of a dial actuated from the control station in the known manner. The pawls may thus be set for any angular relation between and 360. Such setting of the pawls, as described above, ultimately determines the relative displacement of the fuse ring and the fuse body and it will be appreciated that the angular displacement of the pawls can be adjusted continuously in accordance with signals from the control station.

In order that the setting pawls may search for and pick up the cooperating notches on the fuse ring and shell body, a movement of two complete revolutions relatively to each other, i. e., 720, (independently of any movement imparted by the setting of the pawls), is given to the setting members so that the setting pawls travel around the nose of the projectile searching for the notches in the fuse ring and fuse body respectively, until the pawls successively engage the fuse ring and 'fuse body notches, which will take place in the rst 360 of the secondary rotation of the pawls and usually at a position of the traveller 2| at which the pawls have become relatively displaced from the initial setting displace.- ment effected by the hand-wheel 4. The pawl which engages in the body notch of course ceases to rotate when so engaged but the pawl engaged in the ring notch continues to rotate and carries with it the fuse ring until one of the setting members has, during this secondary rotation, moved '120 relative to the other. Since the pawls had been displaced by the action of the holds the ball race 45 against a shoulder 41.

the same degree as set by the hand-wheel. This secondary rotation o f the setting pawls is effected by movement of the sleeve through the intermediary of the fork I3 and the setting lever l1 (Figure 2) associated therewith, the lever being thrown over in one complete movement to slide the sleeve I I a predetermined distance along the guide rods 20. The distance is determined by contact of the part |9 of the sleeve II with the abutment 36 and the part 24 with the casing I,

such distance being additional to the distance and effected by 23 with the object of taking up wear which might arise after excessive use of the apparatus between the traveller 2| and the inner setting member 23. It will be noted that the part 31 is connected to the part 38 by means of studs 39 which are secured to a fiange 40 on the part 38 and extend through slots 4| on the part 31 so that the two parts can be drawn together and engage without any play the multiple thread of the inner setting member 31, thus permitting wear to be taken up. Washers or shims 39a are interposed between the parts 31 and 38 to prevent the quick thread on the member 23 being seized upon tightening up the nuts of the studs 39. lThe traveller 2| is thus capable of easy adjustment' to take up wear at the places, for example, between 26 and 21 and betweenl the quick thread on the member 23 and the traveller, where it is likely to arise, so that the efficiency of the apparatus may be maintained. The roller bearing 22 can be adjusted by means of the screw threaded collar 42 and the lock nut 43. The central ball race 45 `of the ball bearing is held in position within the traversing member I0 by means of a sleeve 46 which 48 is a flanged bush which holds the drive member 3 in position against endwise movement and at the same time acts as the bearing 8, the bush 48 being connected to the outer casing I by the screw portion 49 of the guide rods 20. In operation of the apparatus'the projectile indicated in dotted lines at 50 is placed in position within a bed 5| forming part of the main casing I, the notches on the fuse body and ring being in any relative position; this part of the apparatus forms no part of the present invention. The first movement or primary setting is effected by rotation of the hand-wheel 4 to produce the angular displacement of the setting pawls 28 and 29 in accordance with the control data, Vthe the sleeve to move through the medium of the wheel 4 at the start of the secondary movement setting lever I1, a distance equal to the full stroke of the lever and equivalent to two complete revolutions of the setting pawls.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fuse setting device, a casing, a pair of independently rotatable coaxial fuse setting members the inner of which is provided with a steeply pitched thread, a rotatable traveller having screw engagement with the inner member and a pin and slot connection with the outer member whereby the traveller may move longitudinally of the outer member and the outer member is held from revolution relative to the traveller, a setting pawl carried by each member, means for causing primary longitudinal movement of the traveller along said members, and other means for causing secondary movement of the vtraveller along said members, said last means having a movement causing two complete revolutions of one member relative to the other.

2. The fuse setting device of claim 1 characterized by the first means including a sleeve held against rotative movement, a second sleeve hav ing screw connection with the first sleeve, an

operative connection between the second sleeve and traveller permitting rotation of the traveller in the sleeve and holding the traveller for longitudinal movement with 'the sleeve, a setting hand-wheel, and an operative connection between the wheel and second sleeve rotating the latter as the former is rotated.

3. The fuse setting device of claim 1 characterized by the first means including a sleeve held against rotative movement, a second sleeve having screw connection with the rst sleeve, an operative connection between the second sleeve and traveller permitting rotation of the traveller in the sleeve and holding the traveller for longitudinal movement with the sleeve, a setting handwheel, andan operative connection between the wheel and second sleeve rotating the latter as the former is rotated, and further characterized by the second means including a crank and an operative connection between the crank and rst sleeve effecting longitudinal movement of the sleeves as the crank is rotated.

4. 'I'he device of claim l' characterized by havparts in relatively adjusted position on the inner v member.

5. The fuse setting device of claim l in which the rst means includes a sleeve held against rotative movement, a second sleeve having screw connection. with the first sleeve, a thrust bearing having one element carried by the second sleeve and a second element carried by the traveller and means to rotate the second sleeve.

6. The fuse setting device of claim 1 in which the ilrst means includes a -sleeve held against rotative movement, a second sleeve having screw connection with the rst sleeve, a thrust bearing having one element carried by the second sleeve and a second element carried by the traveller, means to rotate the second sleeve, saidlast means comprising a third sleeve having splined connection with the second sleeve, a hand-wheel and shaft, and gearing connecting said shaft and third wheel.

FELIX ALEXANDER JOSEPH. 

